Do any of you not have checks at all?

[disneysteve]

The credit card terminal at our office broke and we're waiting on a new one. One patient came in to pay her bill and when she learned our machine was down, she mentioned that she doesn't even have checks since she doesn't use them. All she has is her debit card. She doesn't carry cash, of course, which seems to be more and more common.

We've talked about not carrying cash before but I'm curious how many of you actually don't even have checks to use for your account?

I probably write 4-6 checks per month so I still use them regularly.

[97guns]

I use them a few times a month

[YULACU]

I have checks, but I don't carry them with me since I use them irregularly. Whenever I'm in a situation where I need to use a check, I have to find my checkbook. FWIW, I recently opened up a new checking account for the bonus offer and ordering checks was an option that I simply declined. I have probably written less than 100 checks in my life.

[MonkeyMama]

I have checks, but I very rarely use them. Every once in a while it comes up that we *have to* use a check for something, but admittedly we don't use debit cards. So I don't know if a debit card would work in those cases.

The only check I wrote recently was for a passport for my child. They would only accept checks. (That was a few years ago). I will have to look, but that is all I recall.

My younger child also started at a new school that only accepts checks for every little thing. We were spoiled because their K-8 school would accept electronic payments for just about everything. I had to write 4 or 5 different checks (for like art supplies and PE uniforms and this and that) and it was driving me nuts that it took several months for many of them to clear. I don't remember the last time I had an outstanding check. I guess I get to go through this every fall now.

Edited to add: We don't pay any bank fees or pay any fees to make payments electronically. Just to be clear on that part.

[Jluke]

I just looked at my checking account.

I went exactly 3 months between my last check and the most recent one (November to February).

Recently, I've written a bunch of checks: car registration, water bill, federal tax bill ($4.00!), car down payment, and trash bill. Hopefully that'll be it till March's property tax bill.

[Thrif-t]

Yes I use checks. I need them for kids school fee's, dmv, church. Anything that I'd have to pay a fee if I used a credit card, I write a free check. Oh home improvement projects, lots of those guys tack on a fee for a credit card. I use the bank bill pay for bills but I still write a handful of checks a month.

I will say my church takes credit card offertories but they want you to add more for the fee so they get the same amount as if you wrote a check. Nah, I'll just give you the check.

Plus I think I need to write so many checks or use my debit card so much to get free checking. Do others have that stipulation? I don't use my debit card.

Edit to add I never write a check in the store. I tried once and it was rejected because it had been so long since I wrote one shopping, I guess the clearing house didn't recognize me anymore. I always use a card but had forgotten it one day.

[StormRichards]

We have checks for our brick & mortar checking account but we don't use them often. Also, I have NEVER carried our check book with me. The main thing we write checks for are for school stuff: Cafeteria account, field trips, fundraisers, etc. Just a better option than sending our DD to school with cash.

[moneybags]

When my DD opened her first checking account 5 years ago, they told her she probably didn't need checks. We didn't get them at first, but eventually needed a few. I have checks, but never carry any on me.

[scfr]

I write 3-4 checks a month.

There was a time when carrying a checkbook was common, but that was a long time ago. I don't think I've carried mine in my purse for over 20 years.

[~bs]

I still use them, some bills I pay don't have a credit/debit card option.

Certain situations, I prefer to pay for things with a check like certain business transactions, and IRS tax payments. I like to keep the copy of check on file.

[Captain Save]

nope.. I can't stand checks... I can't stand the fact they're even a thing in 2017 .. the whole process makes no sense.. somebody writes you a check .. they might or might not have that money.. if it bounces then it sucks for most parties. Also let's say you give someone a check.. and they decide not to cash it until months later.. you might not have the funds in that particular account anymore because you forget about it. I still don't understand why it's still a viable option in this day and age..

I don't have a check book .. sometimes I need to write checks I use my Capital one 360 check writing service .. they write it and mail it to the place that needs it.

[disneysteve]

Also let's say you give someone a check.. and they decide not to cash it until months later.. you might not have the funds in that particular account anymore because you forget about it.

That would never happen if you balanced your account every month. You would know that check was still outstanding.

[Captain Save]

That would never happen if you balanced your account every month. You would know that check was still outstanding.

you can't control everybody... I don't have that problem because I don't write checks to people. This came to mind because I was trying to cash a check that my mother wrote me for my daughter... and I had to call her to make sure that it was still good to go and of course it wasn't.

[AJ444]

Have them but don't carry them and maybe write 1 a year for a wedding gift.

[StormRichards]

Have them but don't carry them and maybe write 1 a year for a wedding gift.

This post reminds of another event I prefer to give/send a check. Graduations!